The apex body of primary fishermen cooperative societies in Odisha, the State Fishermen’s Cooperative Federation (FISHFED) has reported a success story of an Agro Entrepreneur Aurobindo Kumar Sahu.
The story relates to Aurobindo Kumar Sahu who was an unemployed youth from a remote village, Machhapada, under Betonoi in Mayurbhanj district.
After passing B. Com, Sahu initially looked for a job but later decided to take up agriculture. In 1997, he started to grow paddy, vegetables and fruit bearing trees on his six acre land.
In 2012, he bought additional 17 acres of land out of which he, created a water area of 12.5 acres for intensive fish farming with the help of Fisheries Department.
The project was completed two years later with an investment of Rs 23 lakh. He, however, got Rs 10 lakh as subsidy from the department. Sahu harvested six tonnes of fish by March 2015 earning Rs.12.50 lakh.
Another 20 tonnes of fish worth Rs.28 lakh are expected to be harvested soon. He planted drumstick banana, brinjal, papaya and chilli on the dykes of fish ponds and got Rs. 15,000 from the first harvest. He has engaged 15 persons on his farm.